Techniques for hybrid computer thread creation and management

ABSTRACT

A technique for operating a computer system to support an application, a first application server environment, and a second application server environment includes intercepting a work request relating to the application issued to the first application server environment prior to execution of the work request. A thread adapted for execution in the first application server environment is created. A context is attached to the thread that non-disruptively modifies the thread into a hybrid thread that is additionally suitable for execution in the second application server environment. The hybrid thread is returned to the first application server environment.

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.14/414,666 which is a national stage of International Application No.PCT/IB2013/055390, which was filed on Jul. 1, 2013, and claims priorityto United Kingdom Patent Application 1212509.2, entitled “HYBRIDCOMPUTER THREAD CREATION AND MANAGEMENT,” filed on Jul. 13, 2012. Thedisclosures of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/414,666, InternationalApplication No. PCT/IB2013/055390, and United Kingdom Patent Application1212509.2 are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entiretyfor all purposes.

BACKGROUND

This application is generally directed to a computer threads and, moreparticularly, to techniques for hybrid computer thread creation andmanagement.

As is well known in the computer art, application server environmentssupport environments that mediate between a base computer operatingsystem environment and user applications. Application serverenvironments also provide a number of supporting services to userapplications. For example, application server environments providesupporting services such as control of communications between clientsand databases, performance monitoring, diagnostic tracing andtransaction control services, among others. Many application serverenvironments also provide specialized application programming interfacestailored to enable users to exploit advanced services in a simple,standardized manner. Examples of application server environmentsinclude: Oracle Corporation's WebLogic™, SAP Net Weaver ApplicationServer™, IBM Corporation's WebSphere Application Server™, and IBMCorporation's customer information control system (CICS) TransactionServer™, among others.

Application server environments may operate independently, side-by-sidewithin an operating system environment, or in a nested fashion, with oneenvironment embedded within another. IBM, WebSphere and CICS aretrademarks of International Business Machines Corporation, registered inmany jurisdictions worldwide. Other product or service names may betrademarks or registered trademarks of others. As is also well known inthe art, application server environments take several forms. Someapplication server environments follow traditional computing paradigms(for example, using traditional procedural programming approaches).Other application server environments follow more recent programmingparadigms, such as object-oriented programming and portable programmingmodels like the Java™ model. Java and all Java-related trademarks andlogos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Oracle Corporation inthe U.S. and other countries.

Where user applications have been created to use the services of, andthe programming model provided by, a particular one of these applicationserver environments, serious problems arise in any attempt to move to adifferent application server environment, or to enable coexistence ofapplications between different application server environments. Theseproblems are exacerbated by the need to support “software as a service”and cloud computing models, in which applications need to be made mobilebetween server platforms and across multiple, potentially heterogeneousenvironments. Various attempts to address this problem have beenproposed. One example is the provisioning of wrappers, connectors, oradapters that provide translations of the language and other constructsused by a user application that are specific to a first applicationserver environment into the equivalent language and other constructsthat would be used by the user application in a second applicationserver environment. These wrappers, connectors, and adaptersdisadvantageously add layers of processing overhead between theapplications and their environments and thus adversely affect theperformance, reliability and serviceability of the applications and theapplication server environments.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Disclosed are a method, a data processing system, and a computer programproduct (embodied in a computer-readable storage device) for hybridcomputer thread creation and management.

A technique for operating a computer system to support an application, afirst application server environment, and a second application serverenvironment includes intercepting a work request relating to theapplication issued to the first application server environment prior toexecution of the work request. A thread adapted for execution in thefirst application server environment is created. A context is attachedto the thread that non-disruptively modifies the thread into a hybridthread additionally suitable for execution in the second applicationserver environment. The hybrid thread is returned to the firstapplication server environment.

The above as well as additional objectives, features, and advantages ofthe present invention will become apparent in the following detailedwritten description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The description of the illustrative embodiments is to be read inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates the components of a system according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 represents a detailed view of a hybrid thread according to anembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 represents a flow diagram illustrating a process according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 4 represents a flow of control in an exemplary customer informationcontrol system (CICS) and Java embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The illustrative embodiments provide a method, network controller, and acomputer program product (embodied in a computer-readable storagedevice) for hybrid computer thread creation and management.

In the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of theinvention, specific exemplary embodiments in which the invention may bepracticed are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled inthe art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that otherembodiments may be utilized and that logical, architectural,programmatic, mechanical, electrical and other changes may be madewithout departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Thefollowing detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in alimiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined by theappended claims and equivalents thereof.

It is understood that the use of specific component, device and/orparameter names are for example only and not meant to imply anylimitations on the invention. The invention may thus be implemented withdifferent nomenclature/terminology utilized to describe thecomponents/devices/parameters herein, without limitation. Each termutilized herein is to be given its broadest interpretation given thecontext in which that term is utilized. As may be utilized herein, theterm ‘coupled’ encompasses a direct electrical connection betweencomponents or devices and an indirect electrical connection betweencomponents or devices achieved using one or more intervening componentsor devices.

According to the present disclosure, techniques are disclosed by whichapplications can take advantage of services provided by differentapplication server environments without being bound by the limitationsof those environments, and without the need to reprogram applications tomake the applications portable between the environments.

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a computer systemis disclosed that is operable to support an application, a firstapplication server environment, and a second application serverenvironment. The computer system includes: a request interceptorcomponent configured to intercept a work request relating to theapplication issued to the first application server environment prior toexecution of the work request; an executor component, responsive to therequest interceptor component, is configured to create a thread adaptedfor execution in the first application server environment; a threaddispatcher component, responsive to the executor component, isconfigured to attach a context to the thread to non-disruptively modifythe thread into a hybrid thread that is additionally suitable forexecution in the second application server environment; and a catchercomponent, responsive to the thread dispatcher component, is configuredto return the hybrid thread to the first application server environment.

The hybrid thread may be operable to execute in the first applicationserver environment and in the second application server environmentunmodified. The hybrid thread may comprise first data visible to aserver only in the first application server environment and second datavisible to a server only in the second application server environment.In one or more embodiments, the first application server environment andthe second application server environment are incompatible in theirprogram execution models. In one or more embodiments, only one of thefirst application server environment or the second application serverenvironment is a procedural program environment. In one or moreembodiments, only one of the first application server environment or thesecond application server environment is an object-oriented programenvironment. In one or more embodiments, the context comprisestransactional control data of one of the application serverenvironments. The context may include transactional control data,security control data, monitoring control data, diagnostic tracingcontrol data, and/or data enabling access to an application programminginterface of one of the application server environments.

According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a method ofoperating a computer system to support an application, a firstapplication server environment, and a second application serverenvironment is disclosed. The method comprises: intercepting, by arequest interceptor component, a work request relating to theapplication issued to the first application server environment prior toexecution of the work request; responsive to the request interceptorcomponent, creating a thread adapted for execution in the firstapplication server environment by an executor component; responsive tothe executor component, attaching to the thread, by a thread dispatchercomponent, a context to non-disruptively modify the thread into a hybridthread that is additionally suitable for execution in the secondapplication server environment; and responsive to the thread dispatchercomponent, returning the hybrid thread to the first application serverenvironment by a catcher component.

The hybrid thread may be operable to execute in the first applicationserver environment and the second application server environmentunmodified. The hybrid thread may comprise first data visible to aserver only in the first application server environment and second datavisible to a server only in the second application server environment.In at least one embodiment, the first application server environment andthe second application server environment are incompatible in theirprogram execution models. In one or more embodiments, only one of thefirst application server environment or the second application serverenvironment is a procedural program environment. In another embodiment,only one of the first application server environment or the secondapplication server environment is an object-oriented programenvironment. In at least one embodiment, the context comprisestransactional control data of one of the application serverenvironments. The context may comprise transactional control data,security control data, monitoring control data, diagnostic tracingcontrol data, and/or data enabling access to an application programminginterface of one of the application server environments.

According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a computerprogram product that includes computer program code embodied on acomputer-readable storage device that, when executed by a dataprocessing system, configures the data processing system to execute theprocess described above is disclosed.

In a typical commercial data processing system of the present day, thereis often a mixture of processing environments, some of which, like IBM'shigh-performance and high-integrity customer information control system(CICS) transaction processing products, follow a conventional, thoughhighly advanced and reliable, procedural programming and operationalparadigm, and some of which, like IBM's WebSphere Application Server,offer an built-in opportunity to exploit object-oriented and Javaprocessing environments. As should be clear to one of ordinary skill inthe art, CICS and WebSphere are merely two examples of applicationserver environments; and many other such application server environmentsare supplied by other vendors.

CICS has for some time provided facilities for permitting a level ofinteroperability between the normal CICS environment and programsimplementing a Java model. However, these facilities have certainlimitations—for example, they do not apply to processing threadsinitiated from inside the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) as a result of aThread.Start instruction. Such threads are not able to participate in aCICS task and cannot make use of the CICS application programminginterface (API) and services. This is particularly unfortunate whenusers have a need to port server side components to run in the JVM underCICS, as it is a very common pattern for such components (Jetty, Axis 2,Liberty, etc.) to attach worker threads from inside the JVM to satisfyexternal requests. When such components are hosted in CICS it is almostcertain that such worker threads will require access to CICS services orAPI, and this cannot be achieved using the facilities presentlyprovided. The approaches to improving the situation implemented invarious application server environments thus far involve significantreprogramming, both of the application server environments and of theapplications themselves, and are clearly disadvantageous.

A first approach is to completely remove the listening/dispatchingcomponent from one application server environment and to re-implement itusing the infrastructure provided by a second application serverenvironment. As noted above, this approach has the disadvantage that itrequires a significant rewrite of the ported server side components. Asecond approach is to alter the listening/dispatching logic of a firstapplication server environment to issue an additional call to the secondapplication server environment to start another transaction. Thetransaction is started outside the first application server environmentand must then be synchronized with the calling component inside thefirst application server environment. The second approach again requiresa significant re-write of the dispatching/listening components to bemade workable. The second approach also requires the first applicationserver environment code to know the characteristics of the required taskenvironment of the second application server environment.

Turning to FIG. 1, a computer system 100 operable to support anapplication, a first application server environment 102, and a secondapplication server environment 104 is illustrated. In one embodiment,the first application server environment 102 is a CICS applicationserver environment and the second application server environment 104 isa Java-enabled environment, such as the WebSphere Application Server.Computer system 100 comprises a request interceptor component 106 forintercepting a work request, relating to the application, issued to thefirst application server environment 102 prior to execution of the workrequest. In one or more embodiments, the work request could be, forexample, a Java Thread.Start request.

Computer system 100 further comprises an executor component 108,responsive to the request interceptor component 106, for creating athread 110 adapted for execution in the first application serverenvironment 102. There is also provided a thread dispatcher component112, responsive to the executor component 108, for attaching to thethread 110 a context 114 to non-disruptively modify the thread 110 intoa hybrid thread 116 that us additionally suitable for execution in thesecond application server environment 104. A catcher component 118 isresponsive to the thread dispatcher component 112, for returning thehybrid thread 116 to the first application server environment 102. Thecomputer system 100, as described, enables the hybrid thread 116 toexecute in the first application server environment 102 and in thesecond application server environment 104 without modification of theenvironments 102 and 104.

In the computer system 100 as described, the hybrid thread 116 comprisesfirst data visible to a server only in the first application serverenvironment 102 and second data visible to a server only in the secondapplication server environment 104. Advantageously, the computer system100 as described is operable in systems in which the first applicationserver environment 102 and the second application server environment 104are incompatible in their program execution models. For example, one ofthe application server environments 102, 104 could be a proceduralprogram environment, while the other application server environment 104,102 could be an object-oriented program environment. The context 114 isattached to the thread 110 to create the hybrid thread 116. As is shownin FIG. 2, the context 114 may comprise transactional control data 120,security control data 122, monitoring control data 124, diagnostictracing control data 126, and/or data 128 enabling access to anapplication programming interface (API) of one of the application serverenvironments 102, 104.

Turning to FIG. 3, a process for operating a computer system 100 tosupport an application, a first application server environment 102, anda second application server environment 104 is illustrated. The processincludes a START block 300, a block 302 that intercepts work requests,e.g., using the request interceptor component 106, relating to theapplication issued to the first application server environment 102 priorto execution of the work request. The process continues at block 304where, responsive to the request interceptor component 106, a thread 110adapted for execution in the first application server environment 102 iscreated by an executor component 108. Then, responsive to the executorcomponent 108, the process continues by attaching (in block 306) to thethread 110, by a thread dispatcher component 112, the context 114 tonon-disruptively modify the thread 110 into the hybrid thread 116 thatis additionally suitable for execution in the second application serverenvironment 104. Responsive to the thread dispatcher component 112, thecatcher component 118 returns, in block 308, the hybrid thread 116 tothe first application server environment 102, and the process completes,for this instantiation, in block 310.

Thus, in the CICS and Java embodiment, there is provided a combined(partially in Java, partially native services) thread dispatchingservice that can be called from any Java thread (CICS attached or not)that will provide a Java thread and related CICS task environment suchthat the thread is also a CICS task and can make full use of CICS APIand services. In one embodiment, the thread dispatching service is usedto implement a Java ThreadExecutor—this allows the advantages of thedisclosed embodiments to be achieved with no code changes to thedispatching/listening components and minimal changes to theconfiguration of the ported component.

Turning to FIG. 4, the flow through a set of components of a CICS andJava embodiment is illustrated. The Java listener/dispatcher in block400 receives the work request and calls the CICS executor service inblock 402. The CICS executor service creates the base Java thread andthen invokes the CICS thread dispatcher in block 404. The CICS threaddispatcher uses the services of the existing CICS task manager in block406. The CICS native thread catcher is employed in block 408 and theexisting CICS task control block dispatcher is employed in block 410 tocreate and attach the CICS context to the thread, thereby creating ahybrid thread. The thread is then passed back by the CICS Java threadcatcher in block 412 to the CICS executor service in block 402, whichemits the target Java executable component in block 414.

Accordingly, techniques have been disclosed herein that advantageouslyfacilitate the creation and management of hybrid computer threads.

The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a computerprogram product. The computer program product may include a computerreadable storage medium (or media) having computer readable programinstructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of thepresent invention.

The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that canretain and store instructions for use by an instruction executiondevice. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but isnot limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device,an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, asemiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of thecomputer readable storage medium includes the following: a portablecomputer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), aread-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMor Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portablecompact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD),a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such aspunch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructionsrecorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. Acomputer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construedas being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freelypropagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagatingthrough a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulsespassing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmittedthrough a wire.

Computer readable program instructions described herein can bedownloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computerreadable storage medium or to an external computer or external storagedevice via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, awide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprisecopper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wirelesstransmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/oredge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in eachcomputing/processing device receives computer readable programinstructions from the network and forwards the computer readable programinstructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium withinthe respective computing/processing device.

Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations ofthe present invention may be assembler instructions,instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions,machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions,state-setting data, or either source code or object code written in anycombination of one or more programming languages, including an objectoriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C++ or the like, andconventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C”programming language or similar programming languages. The computerreadable program instructions may execute entirely on the user'scomputer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone softwarepackage, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computeror entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario,the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through anytype of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide areanetwork (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer(for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example,programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), orprogrammable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readableprogram instructions by utilizing state information of the computerreadable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry,in order to perform aspects of the present invention.

Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer readable program instructions.

These computer readable program instructions may be provided to aprocessor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, orother programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, suchthat the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computeror other programmable data processing apparatus, create means forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructionsmay also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can directa computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or otherdevices to function in a particular manner, such that the computerreadable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises anarticle of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects ofthe function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram blockor blocks.

The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto acomputer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other deviceto cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer,other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computerimplemented process, such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement thefunctions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block orblocks.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods, and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternativeimplementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of theorder noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in successionmay, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks maysometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon thefunctionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of theblock diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocksin the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implementedby special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specifiedfunctions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardwareand computer instructions.

While the invention has been described with reference to exemplaryembodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art thatvarious changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted forelements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. Inaddition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular system,device or component thereof to the teachings of the invention withoutdeparting from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intendedthat the invention not be limited to the particular embodimentsdisclosed for carrying out this invention, but that the invention willinclude all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.Moreover, the use of the terms first, second, etc. do not denote anyorder or importance, but rather the terms first, second, etc. are usedto distinguish one element from another.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. Asused herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises”and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify thepresence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements,and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of oneor more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements,components, and/or groups thereof.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of allmeans or step plus function elements in the claims below, if any, areintended to include any structure, material, or act for performing thefunction in combination with other claimed elements as specificallyclaimed. The description of the present invention has been presented forpurposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to beexhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Manymodifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skillin the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain theprinciples of the invention and the practical application, and to enableothers of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention forvarious embodiments with various modifications as are suited to theparticular use contemplated.

1. A computer system configured to support an application, a firstapplication server environment, and a second application serverenvironment, the system comprising: a request interceptor componentconfigured to intercept a work request relating to the applicationissued to the first application server environment prior to execution ofthe work request; an executor component configured to, responsive to therequest interceptor component, create a thread adapted for execution inthe first application server environment; a thread dispatcher componentconfigured to, responsive to the executor component, attach a context tothe thread to non-disruptively modify the thread into a hybrid threadthat is additionally suitable for execution in the second applicationserver environment; and a catcher component configured to, responsive tothe thread dispatcher component, return the hybrid thread to the firstapplication server environment.
 2. The computer system of claim 1,wherein the hybrid thread is operable to execute in the firstapplication server environment and in the second application serverenvironment without requiring modification of the first and secondapplication server environments.
 3. The computer system of claim 2,wherein the hybrid thread comprises first data that is only visible to aserver in the first application server environment and second data thatis only visible to another server in the second application serverenvironment.
 4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the firstapplication server environment and the second application serverenvironment are incompatible in their program execution models.
 5. Thecomputer system of claim 4, wherein only one of the first applicationserver environment or the second application server environment is aprocedural program environment.
 6. The computer system of claim 4,wherein only one of the first application server environment or thesecond application server environment is an object-oriented programenvironment.
 7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the contextcomprises transactional control data of one of the application serverenvironments.
 8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the contextcomprises security control data of one of the application serverenvironments.
 9. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the contextcomprises monitoring control data of one of the application serverenvironments.
 10. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the contextcomprises diagnostic tracing control data of one of the applicationserver environments.
 11. The computer system of claim 1, wherein thecontext comprises data enabling access to an application programminginterface of one of the application server environments.
 12. A method ofoperating a computer system to support an application, a firstapplication server environment, and a second application serverenvironment, the method comprising: intercepting, by a requestinterceptor component executing on the computer system, a work requestrelating to the application issued to the first application serverenvironment prior to execution of the work request; responsive to therequest interceptor component, creating, using the computer system, athread adapted for execution in the first application server environmentby an executor component; responsive to the executor component,attaching to the thread, by a thread dispatcher component executing onthe computer system, a context to non-disruptively modify the threadinto a hybrid thread that is additionally suitable for execution in thesecond application server environment; and responsive to the threaddispatcher component, returning the hybrid thread to the firstapplication server environment by a catcher component executing on thecomputer system.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the hybrid threadis operable to execute in the first application server environment andthe second application server environment without requiring modificationof the first and second application server environments.
 14. The methodof claim 13, wherein the hybrid thread comprises first data visible to aserver only in the first application server environment and second datavisible to another server only in the second application serverenvironment.
 15. The method of claim 12, wherein the first applicationserver environment and the second application server environment areincompatible in their program execution models.
 16. The method of claim15, wherein only one of the first application server environment or thesecond application server environment is a procedural programenvironment.
 17. The method of claim 15, wherein only one of the firstapplication server environment or the second application serverenvironment is an object-oriented program environment.
 18. The method ofclaim 12, wherein the context comprises transactional control data ofone of the application server environments, security control data of oneof the application server environments, monitoring control data of oneof the application server environments, diagnostic tracing control dataof one of the application server environments, and/or data enablingaccess to an application programming interface of one of the applicationserver environments.